I woke up way early for this paddle, at around 4:30am. There were two reasons for my early start: one, I misplaced my two battens somewhere (inserts for my RED paddle board which “supposedly” make it stiffer by some 40%), and they could be left at Bayfront Park in Mill Valley where I paddled last week. The chance was low given that a week had already passed by, but I had to stop by and try to see if they were still there. And two, the previous two times that I parked in Sausalito, the free parking lot filled up fairly quickly (this was pre-Covid), so I had to try and beat the crowd here. The early bird gets the worms after all! (And you know the follow-up, the early worms get eaten!)
After my breakfast of oats and bananas and fruits, I loaded my paddle equipment into the car and left Richmond around 7am, getting to Bayfront Park a bit before 7:20am. There were joggers around the park already, and from afar, I could spot a thin, oblong orange shape hanging from the tree near where I pumped up my paddle board last week. Could they be my missing battens? Upon parking, I took a closer look and almost jumped up with joy! My missing battens had been found! A nice person had tied the two battens together and hung them up on a branch of that tree, and they were still there after one whole week. I may never get to meet the good samaritan, but I’d like to thank them nevertheless. If my vote ever counts for anything, the residents of Mill Valley would get “Most Honest City of The Year” award from me.
From Mill Valley to Sausalito was a very short 5-mile drive, and like all my previous trip to this beautiful city, I chose to park at the Public Parking Lot #5 (free parking for 3 hours), and used the close-by public dock next to Salito’s Crab House and Prime Ribs and Joinery Beerhall. It was 8am when I launched, and other than a few restaurant service workers getting ready for their upcoming lunch visitors, the area was quiet otherwise. A couple of out-of-towners were walking on the dock, and we exchanged pleasantries for a bit, then I headed out.
Soon after I was on the water, I realized that my GoPro was not turned on. The next beach that I could stop at was Sausalito Beach, which was next door to the French restaurant Le Garage. I had read elsewhere that there are free parking around the warehouses near the split on Liberty Ship Way. If you want to launch from this beach, you can research more into that option. The beach is sheltered from wind and waves, which could help build up your confidence before you set out on the bay.
Oops! It seems like this post isn't published yet. Stay tuned for updates!Here, I was just outside the protection of Sausalito Beach. For me, I was not comfortable standing up on this board for long duration on this trip, especially when I was in the open waters. Winds and waves made my board wobbled, and so I was being extra careful and would sit down on my board whenever I felt my balance was not there.
From the beach, I continued northwest and encountered more harbors and of course, the famous houseboats. The sea lions and seals were nowhere to be seen on this day. But the houseboats remained where they had always been.
The cove, like Sausalito Beach, was protected from wind and waves, and was better for stand up paddling than the open bay. Soon after I re-entered the bay, I had to sit down on my board again to keep balance. Well, let it be known that SUP stands for “sit upright paddle” from now on. At least there was a “stands” in that previous sentence =P
Oops! It seems like this post isn't published yet. Stay tuned for updates!Well, that was probably the last time I stand-up paddled on this trip. From here, I crossed over to the Strawberry Peninsula side and prepared to head into Richardson Bay. The recognizable landmarks here, of course, are the cliff houses, with some having kayaks and paddle boards on their stair steps. The beach here may also allow for a respite and grabbing a bite to recharge your paddling energy. I think these are technically private beaches, but I doubt if anyone would come out with a broom and chase you away. But do eat lunch here at your own perils =D
As I rounded the tip of Strawberry Peninsula and began to head into Richardson Bay, I encountered two fishermen fishing from shore. I said hello from my board, and they returned my greetings. And 5 seconds later, I ran into one of their fishing lines =) I swear I was paddling far away from shore, seriously! “I’m sorry!” I said, to which they replied positively. I lifted the line over my head, and veered even further from shore to not risk running into another one.
The paddle into Richardson Bay and back was somewhat uneventful. Along the way I encountered a couple of egrets, a group of cormorants, and some other shorebirds to which I did not recognize. I visited another cove, which turned out to be Strawberry Lagoon, then closely followed the eastern bank of Aramburu Island until reaching Harbor Cove Park just opposite from its northern shore. There, I met a couple of people getting ready to launch their kayaks. In hindsight, I should have studied the map better and rounded Aramburu Island, going back to Sausalito in the more protective Strawberry Lagoon. That is something to consider for another time.
Oops! It seems like this post isn't published yet. Stay tuned for updates!I paddled back to Sausalito from Richardson Bay, crossing from the southern tip of Strawberry Peninsula to Clipper Yacht Harbor, where I encountered a pod of kayakers, who were probably clients of Sea Trek. From there, I followed them out toward the Spinnaker, which is the marker signifying the “boundary” of Sausalito, separating Richardson Bay and San Francisco Bay. Then I turned around to head back to my launch dock, while the pod of kayakers continued on. Paddling with these kayakers taught me one thing, and that I am (quite) slower on a paddle board compared to them. I joined the Bay Area Sea Kayakers (BASK) community two months ago, hoping to go on paddling trips with them in the future, but this experience taught me that I’d slow down the group too much if and when I do paddle with kayakers. I guess I’d have to find SUPers for my paddling adventures instead.
Along the way, I also encountered a person foiling in the far distance. My phone in its waterproof pouch couldn’t quite zoom in sufficiently to get a clear shot, but this was the second time I’d seen someone foil boarding in the SF Bay Area (the first was near Brooks Island more than a month ago).
Foiling near Sausalito, in Richardson Bay. I’m accepting donations to get a good (waterproof) camera that can zoom in far enough to get a clearer view =)
When I arrived back at the dock, it was already noon-ish, and folks were enjoying their lunch out on the decks facing the bay. I covered more than 8 miles today, and got to explore many of Sausalito’s waterway landmarks and a portion of Richardson Bay by Strawberry Peninsula. My stomach was growling, and it was time to get off the water =)
